CERC grants final transmission licence to PGCIL’s Bhadla-III Transmission
Author: PPD Team Date: December 19, 2024
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has granted a final transmission licence to “Bhadla-III Transmission Ltd,” a wholly-owned TBCB subsidiary of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).
The licence, issued on December 15, 2024, is valid for 25 years unless revoked earlier.
Bhadla-III Transmission Ltd is developing an ISTS scheme titled “Additional transmission system for evacuation of power from Bhadla-III PS as part of Rajasthan REZ Phase-III (20 GW)” under the build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) model.
PGCIL won the project through the TBCB route, quoting an annual transmission charge of Rs 661.52 million, defeating Sterlite Power in an e-reverse auction. PGCIL had initially bid Rs 750 million, later reducing it by 12 per cent during the auction. The project SPV, Bhadla-III Transmission Ltd, was formally acquired from REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd on August 28, 2024.
The Rs 3.69 billion project involves augmenting the Bhadla-III Pooling Station in Rajasthan with two 765/400kV, 1500 MVA interconnecting transformers (ICTs) and two 400/220kV, 500 MVA ICTs. The first 765/400kV ICT is expected by December 2025, with the overall project completion targeted for February 2026.